A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 2 Review

Ever since the release of the first season of A Series of Unfortunate Events, I was awaiting the follow-up season. I really liked the book series in my younger days, and I used to be a really big fan of the film adaptation starring Jim Carrey as the pinnacle villain. The film, however, only covered the first three books, and it felt very rushed and incomplete. Thus, adapting the book series into a Netflix series made much more sense. Each book gets two one-hour long episodes which allows for ample time to develop the characters and plot. I found the first season to be a wonderfully quirky, filled with delightfully dry dark comedy, and the second season, for the most part, lived up to the quality of the first season.

The second season is stylistically the same as the first. It is filled to the brim with quirky, cartoon-like characters, dry and subtle humor, and perfectly outlandish plotlines and character arcs. The humor, for the most part, works very well and is incredibly funny, and the characters are entertaining. This season also dives deeper into the subplots that were only hinted at in the first season. There is a mystery to be solved in this series and the series reveals information methodically. Enough is revealed to keep you interested and to make you want to return for Season 3, but enough is kept secret so that you are still left curious. This season, in particular, has the perfect balance. Overall, the plots, characters, and humor effectively combine to make a thoroughly enjoyable season with all of quirkiness you could want.

Moreover, the performances are excellent across the board. Even though the series is first a foremost a dark comedy, it has its fair share of serious and emotional moments. The actors perfectly balance the drama and humor, making the constant juggling act run smoothly. The brilliant Neil Patrick Harris is impressive as the dastardly Count Olaf, but that is to be expected. Also impressive were Malina Weissman as Violet Baudelaire, Louis Hynes as Klaus Baudelaire, Lucy Punch as Esmé Squalor, Nathan Fillion as Jacques Snicket, and Sara Canning as Jacquelyn. Even Presley Smith as the toddler Sunny Baudelaire does well.

As for cons, I found there to be a couple issues. For starters, I thought that the season took awhile to gain footing. I found the first few episodes to be inconsistent, and they weren’t always interesting, which put a damper on my enjoyment. Thankfully, the season quickly developed a consistent tone and produced consistently entertaining storylines. The first two or three episodes though weren’t the greatest. The humor, unfortunately, did not always land either. Most of it worked, but some of the jokes fell flat or came across as forced or awkward. It was a bit distracting from time to time.

Overall, the second season of A Series of Unfortunate Events very nearly met my expectations, and I would say that is a very acceptable outcome. It may have a few missteps here and there, but for the most part, it was a thoroughly enjoyable watch, and it brought back everything I loved about the first season. It was a solid success, and I cannot wait for the next season.